The current economy generates vast tonnages of wastes for disposal. Such wastes contain a multitude of diverse chemical components. Most unprocessed wastes exist as bulky materials which, in the unprocessed form, are usually unusable and occupy tremendous space. Landfill disposal no longer affords a satisfactory disposal solution to modern day wastes. Plastics, cellulosic materials (e.g. vegetative wood, paper, cardboard, etc.), glassware, waste foods and feeds, metals, agricultural, construction and industrial wastes, etc. generally comprise the bulk of such wastes. Certain waste collection sites and municipalities require a separation of wastes into different classes of waste materials such as a separation of paper, wood, metal cans, plastics, waste foods, etc. These separated wastes are desirably converted to less bulky materials and recyclable products such as recycled metals, recycled wood, (e.g. landscaping mulch and livestock bedding, pressed wood products), cellulosic products such as recycled paper, cardboard, cellulosic insulation, newsprint, livestock bedding, and other similar useful and saleable products. Processed wastes are also utilized as an energy source for powering commercial and industrial equipment such as in generating electricity and drying kilns.
Costly, heavy-duty equipment powered by energy-consuming motors operated at relatively high r.p.m. and momentum are generally needed to process such wastes. The recycling machines are designed to convert the wastes into a form suitable for resale or reuse. The waste recycling generally entails grinding the bulky waste material to a useful bulk density or particle size.
The problems associated with industrial waste disposal may be typified by the accumulation of wooden pallets at a heavy industrial manufacturing sites. Raw materials and components used by the manufacturer are customarily shipped upon wooden pallets which affords a convenient means for transporting the components about the manufacturing facility with forklift trucks. It is usually too costly to return, reship or reuse these wooden pallets. As a result, stockpiles of wooden pallets typically accumulate at the manufacturing site. Disposal of these bulky and space-consuming wood pallets becomes a troublesome and costly problem.
Waste materials are often prone to be contaminated with latent materials capable of causing considerable damage to the waste processing equipment. It is often economically unfeasible or undesirable to purify or refine waste materials so as to insure removal of machine damaging contaminants. This is typified by the processing of common wastes such as wood and garbage products which may often contain a machine damaging substance such as a large metal rod or rail, a rigid pry bar, etc. Conventional waste processing devices are poorly equipped with safety mechanisms capable of safely interrupting the mechanical operation or working of machine before extensive damage is caused to the device. This can result in extensive downtime for costly repairs and service. In the meantime, unprocessed wastes continue to accumulate at an unsafe and unhealthy rate. Another problem associated with conventional waste recycling devices is the propensity of the wastes to clog or foul the machinery. The need to frequently clean, maintain and repair untidy equipment leads to costly and prolonged downtime during which the wastes continually stockpile.
There exists a need for a high-capacity, waste recycling device capable of effectively handling a broad spectrum of waste materials to produce an end product of a desired uniformity and quality. A productive recycling machine capable of recycling stockpiled waste of conventional garbage and cellulosic materials (e.g. paper, wood, etc.) for prolonged operational periods without fouling or clogging would fulfill a long existing need within the waste disposal industry. A waste recycling machine equipped to productively handle large waste volumes at a relatively low rate of power or energy consumption would fulfill another existing need. Another prerequisitial need centers upon the need for a waste recycling machine equipped with different screen types which may be expeditiously removed and replaced by another screen so as to permit effective processing of different waste materials into end products of a desired uniformity. Another current need centers upon a desire for a high-capacity waste recycling device equipped so as to spontaneously interrupt its mechanical operation when subjected to potentially damaging hazards so as to avoid otherwise extensive damage and costly repairs to the processing equipment and injury to persons. Another desire is a need to provide a high volume and durable waste disposal device which can be effectively operated for prolonged mechanical working periods without requiring extensive downtime for maintenance and repair. These needs and other objectives are generally achieved by the unique waste recycling device of this invention and its use.